Beet-topping machine.



K. A. .l. ANDERSEN.

BEET TOPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. a, 1917.

Patented May 14 1918.

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Wiines 512s K. A. 1. ANDERSEN. BEET TOPPING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. a, 1911.

1 ,266,3 Patented May 14, 1918 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

; I'm/enjoin- K. A. .l. ANDERSEN.

. BEET TOPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATIDN HLED MAR. 8, I917.

Patented May14,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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KARL ALF JOAKIM AND EBSEN, F SALEM, UTAH, ASSIGNQR TO THQMAS A. MULKERN, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

Bessrr er MACHINE- menses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

atch-mi May 4, 1 1

Application filed March 8. 1917'. Serial No. 153,443.

'1 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, KARL A. J. immerses, a citizen of Norway, residing at Salem, in the county of Utah and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Beet-Topping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in bcettopping machines. A further object is to. provide a machine of this type that is simple in construction, of few parts and that is automatic in its operation. 1

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts to be here inafter fully described, pointed out in the claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a partof this specification and in which- Figure l is a side view of the complete machine.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating the leaf-cutting mechanism, and it is taken on line H of Fig.

Fi g. a i a longitudinal sectional view through Fig. 3 on line -5 of that figure.

Like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The machine comprises a main frame 1 provided with front Wheels :2 and with rear wheels 3. A cross bar 4 connects the sides of the frame 1 near its front end and a drop frame, comprising a pair of standards 5 terminating in feet 6, is secured to said beam 4:. The standards 5 are of such a length that the feet 6 ride immediately above the ground line. Braces 7 connect said standards 5 to the front end of the frame 1. To the feet 6 wire rods 8 are terminally secured which extend up and back from the ends of said feet and rest. upon the rollers 9 which are terminally carried by the ends of a fork 10 which is formed with a curved neck 11 integral with a sleeve 12 arranged between the standards 5 upon a sectional shaft 13, 14, the meeting ends of said shaft being split as shown in Fig. at to permit their telescopic engagement with each other, the shaft portion 13 being movable and the shaft portion 1 1 relatively stationary. Collars 15, 16 of shaft portion 13 secure the same to the said sleeve 12 and a collar 17 of shaft portion 13 serves as a lower abutment for the expansion spring 18 which encircles the meeting ends of the sectional shaft, said spring abutting against a collar 19 of the shaft section 14; The sleeve 12'ils formed with longitudinal alined slots 20 through which pins 21 of a brace 22.,carried by the standards 5, extend to prevent rota tion of said sleeve. The upper end of the shaft section 14 is provided with the stationary sleeve secured by plate to the bar t, said shaft section ld'carrying a bevel gear 25 in mesh with another bevel gear of a transverse rotary shaft 27 journale'd in the sides of the frame 1. The shaft section 13 at its lower or free end carries ahol'izontal lmife 28 which is disposed above the rods 8 and fork 10 and a flexible scraper 29 carried by the neck 11 bears upon the said knife The shaft 2'? aforesaid is provided with a gear 30 which is connected and driven by a chain" 31 with another gear 32 of stub shaft 33 journaled in one side of the frame 1, said shaft 33 being also provided with a gear 34 which is connected by drive chain with a gear 36 fast upon the rear axle 37.

In operation the machine is drawn over the ground and the beets, which have been planted a predetermined distance apart, are first encountered by the guide rods 8 which raise the beet leaves for engagement with the knife 28. The knife 28 cuts or trims the leaves of the beet and the scraper 29 keeps the knife clean.

What is claimed is 1. In combination with a wheeled frame, a drop frame carried by said wheeled frame and terminating in feet, a rotary shaft arranged in said drop frame, a sleeve inc-using said shaft and supported thereby, a fork terminating said sleeve, a knife terminally carried by said rotary shaft, and guide rods carried by said feet for cooperation with said knife.

2. In combination with a wheeled frame, a drop frame carried by said wheeled frame and terminating in feet, a rotary shaft arranged in said drop frame, a sleeve incasing said shaft and supported thereby, a fork terminating said sleeve, guide rolls carried by said fork, guide rods carried by said feet and bearing upon said rolls, a knife terminally carried by said rotary shaft above said guide rods, and a scraper for said knife.

3. In combination with a wheeled frame,

a drop frame carried by said Wheeled frame and terminating in feet, a sectional telescopic rotary shaft arranged in said drop frame, a sleeve incasing said shaft and morable longitudinally thereoyer, a fork terminating said sleeve, guides connecting said feet and forlz, a knife terminally carried by said rotary shaft above said guides, and a scraper for said knife.

4. In combination with a Wheeled frame, a drop frame carried by said Wheeled frame and terminating in feet, rotary shaft arranged in said drop frame, incasing means for said shaft movable longitudinally with relation thereto, a fork terminating said incasing means, a knife terminally carried by said rotary shaft, and guide rods carried by said feet for cooperation with said knife.

5. In combination with a Wheeled frame, a drop frame carried by said Wheeled frame and terminating in feet, a rotary shaft arranged in said drop frame, a sleeve incasing said shaft and supported thereby, said sleeve being formed With lon itudinal alined slots, braces connecting the sides of said drop frame, pins carried by said braces for engagement with the longitudinally slotted portions of said sleeve whereby rotation of assa/e said sleeve is prevented, a fork terminating said sleeve. a knife terminally carried by said rotary shaft, and guide rods carried by said feet for cooperation With said knife.

6. In combination with a Wheeled frame, a drop frame carried by said Wheeled frame and terminating in feet, a sectional telescopic rotary shaft arranged in said drop frame, one section of said shaft being mov able longitudinally relative to the opposing section, a sleeve secured to said relatively movable shaft section, said sleeye incasing said shaft sections, a fork terminating said sleeve, collars arranged fast upon said shaft sections, an expansion. spring encircling said shaft sections and abutting against their respective collars, a knife terminally carried by said rotary shaft, and guide rods carried by said feet for cooperation with said knife.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

KARL ALF JOAKIIH ANDERSEN Witnesses:

E. E. Broncos, H. P. Cnmsrnnsns.

this may obtained for are cents eaen, b addressing" the "Commissioner of Patents.

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